Study on the process of synthesizing nanoliposome carrier systems based on PEG-modified plant-derived lipids for cancer treatment
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lung cancer (typically non-small cell lung cancer) and ovarian cancer account for the largest number of cancers. Up to now, many anti-cancer drugs have been successfully researched, capable of inhibiting and repelling the growth of cancer cells. However, these cancer treatment medications are often distributed not concentrated at the tumor site or in cancer cells, leading to many side effects and endangering patients’ health during treatment. So, at present, one of the methods attracting many scientist’s attention is targeted therapy using nanoparticles as "carriers" in delivering and dispensing medication to the correct location. The use of these medication systems not only reduces side effects, but also prolongs the active time of the medication inside the body, thereby increasing the bioavailability of the medication.
Although so far there have been many studies on nanoscale medication delivery systems applied in cancer treatment, Liposomes are one of the few commercialized medication delivery nano systems. Liposomes are microscopic lipid particles, thousands of times smaller than blood cells, first described by British scientist Alec D Bangham in 1961 at Babraham Research Institute, Cambridge, UK. This is a medication delivery system that has many advantages in the process of transportation, distribution, control of release and increased bioavailability of the medication form. The special advantage of liposomes used in cancer treatment is that the medication molecules will go more into the tumor, release the drug and limit the medication in healthy tissues. However, in vitro studies show that because undenatured nanoliposomes have low biological stability and are easily eliminated from the body, bioavailability is not high. Denaturation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to the surface of a liposome is defined as the denaturation of a protein, peptide, or non-peptide molecule by binding to one or more polyethylene glycol molecules or PEG derivatives such as mPEG. This denaturation is intended to create a barrier that prevents liposomes from interacting with opsonins and macrophages; at the same time, these long polymer chains also limit the interaction between liposomes and each other, help prolong blood circulation time and increase the ability to target the nanoliposome system.
The project "Study on the process of synthesizing nanoliposome carrier systems based on lipids derived from PEG modified plants for cancer treatment", code VAST03.04/19-20, chaired by Assoc. Dr. Nguyen Dai Hai and carried out by the Institute of Applied Materials Science, is a science and technology topic belonging to 7 priority science and technology directions starting from 2019 to 2020 at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, which has been assessed by the Board of Review as excellent. The project has implemented the main products according to the outline, with some outstanding results.
PEG-modified soy liposomes help nanoparticles stay longer in the blood and reach target cells
Nanoliposome images were taken by confocal microscopy (Confocal microscopy)
Results of cytotoxicity evaluation of PEG .-denatured soy liposome products
The project has built a process to synthesize nanoliposome carrier systems based on lipids derived from PEG modified plants. Process-synthesized nanoliposomes have an average size of 100-200 nm and are more biophysically stable than undenatured nanoliposomes; Have encapsulated cancer drugs Paclitaxel, Carboplatin into modified nanoliposome system with average particle size from 100-200 nm; The paclitaxel carrier efficiency is over 80% and the carboplatin drug carrier efficiency is over 70%. Liposome nano systems carrying synthetic cancer drugs have been shown to have high physiological and chemical stability and safety in in vitro tests.
The project has transferred PEG nanoliposome products and some PEG nanoliposome products carrying some cancer drugs (Paclitaxel, Carboplatin, Oxaliplatin). If nanoliposome-PEG carrying Carboplatin and nanoliposome-PEG carrying Paclitaxel are domestically produced with our country's technology, it will reduce costs compared to imports, thereby reducing input costs for pharmaceutical manufacturing units, helping reduce domestic medication prices, thus reducing treatment costs for patients and helping to proactively source drugs in the country.
Besides, the project has also published 3 international articles in the ISI system, 1 article in Chemistry Journal, trained 1 Master and supported training 1 PhD student.
Translated by Phuong Ha
Link to Vietnamese version
